Potatoes are edible tubers of the Nightshade plant family that are well known for their high energy and starch content. And while potatoes are safe for humans, you may be wondering if they can also be fed to your goats?
Yes, goats can eat potatoes in moderation. So if you have extra potatoes from your garden, don’t hesitate to chop them up raw and offer them to your herd like we do.
But when speaking about potatoes for goats, there are a few important guidelines to follow that will protect the overall health and happiness of your herd. To better understand these, let’s take a look at potatoes’ health benefits for goats.
The Risks of Feeding Goats Potatoes May Well Outway The Benefits
Especially For Goats With Sensitive Digestion
Do Not Feed Potato Vines and Leaves to Your Goats!
Potatoes For Goats: Health Benefits
Goats can have potatoes because they primarily contain starches, fibers, and carbohydrates.
These tubers also contain fair amounts of several minerals, including magnesium and potassium, which are both necessary for the bodily functions of your goats.
Without doubt potatoes can be a great energy source for goats. However, note that goats have intricate and sensitive digestive systems that require lots of roughage and fibers. And the microbiome of your goat’s rumen is directly affected by the foodstuff they eat!
For this reason, it is best to keep potatoes as a snack or treat for your goats.
We never allow potatoes to take the place of our goats primary diet of grasses, browse, foraged greens and high fiber hay.

Caution: Potato Vine And Leaves Are Dangerous To Goats
While goats can eat the potato tuber in moderation, all parts of the potato plant is best kept out of your goats grazing area and their feedbox because, like many members of the Nightshade plant family, the vines and leaves of the potato contain a harmful alkaloid called solanine.
If ingested, solanine will cause serious digestive and cardiotoxic effects and even developmental defects.
There is not doubt: never allow your goats to eat potato vines or leaves!
Can Goats Eat Raw Potato Peelings
Potato peelings contain some of the highest concentration of harmful salonine. So no, goats should not eat raw potato peelings.
One way to make potatoes a little less risky for your goats is to cook them by boiling. While this takes away some of the nutrients found in raw potatoes, it also breaks down some of the harmful salonine.
We like to offer our goats boiled potatoes during cold months as a nice warm treat.
Are Green Potatoes Safe For Goats
Never feed your goats greened potatoes.
Potatoes start turning green when they are exposed to sunlight. They naturally begin producing chlorophyll and their chemical composition changes, increasing their solanine content.
Green potatoes are dangerous for both goats and humans alike, do not feed your herd green potatoes!
Preparing Potatoes For Goats
Because potatoes grow underground, it is important to wash them well before offering them to your goats. This will remove any dirt or pests and allow you to examine the potato.
The following are three ways we have offered our herd potatoes throughout the years:
- Chop raw potatoes up in bite size pieces and mix it in with the feed of your goats.
- Grate the raw potatoes, adding a bit of water to soften and assist in digestion.
- Chop the potatoes up in bite size pieces, boil them until soft, and then offer them to your goat when they are just warm (we recommend this option for younger goats whose stomachs aren’t as hardy as those of adult goats).

Potato Types: Can Goats Eat Sweet Potatoes
While sweet potatoes may seem to be just like regular potatoes, they are actually an edible tuber from an entirely different plant family!
However the skin of the sweet potato is slightly toxic (you will notice a white sap emitted when you cut into a raw sweet potato) and can cause mouth and stomach irritation if eaten raw.
Can Goats Eat Cooked Sweet Potatoes
Because of the skin’s toxicity, we always boil or dry any sweet potato slices that we offer our goats.
In this way, cooked sweet potatoes are a nice treat during cold winter months and act as an effective energy boost.
Can Goats Eat Sweet Potato Vine
Yes, the vine of the sweet potato plant is safe for goats to eat but the leaves can be toxic in high quantities.
For this reason, we hold off on offering any part of the sweet potato plant to our herd, although we know other local goat owners who will allow their herd to graze a bit on their overgrown sweet potato plants.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Goats Eat Potatoes
Can Goats Eat Cooked Potatoes?
Yes, goats can eat small amounts of cooked (boiled) potatoes. Note that baking potatoes is not as efficient in reducing solanine as is boiling potatoes.
Can Goats Eat French Fries?
No, do not offer your goats french fries. The high salt content and oil will only result in rumen imbalance and digestive issues, bloating, and diarrhea.
Final Thought on Can Goats Have Potatoes
Potatoes are actually a common ingredient in commercial goat feeds because they serve as effective energy boosters.
But if you want to maintain the health and happiness of your goat or your herd, we recommend treating potatoes as infrequent treats.
Instead, focus on high fiber and roughage foods like grasses and hays and safer treat foods such as mint or blueberries for your goats.
Finally, never feed your goats moldy or fungi infested potato tubers, as this has been known to result in serious lung illness.